Opposition leaders unite at HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as Karnataka Chief Minister

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Mamata Bannerjee and Sitaram Yechury were some of the leaders who graced the occasion.
Opposition leaders unite at HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as Karnataka Chief Minister
Opposition leaders unite at HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as Karnataka Chief Minister
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HD Kumaraswamy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka amidst a show of unity by leaders of some of India's biggest opposition parties, at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday. 

Against the backdrop of the imposing Vidhana Soudha behind him and with the skies threatening to open up, JD(S) supremo Kumaraswamy was administered his oath by Governor Vajubhai Vala. 

The ceremony itself was over in a matter of around 20 minutes but it was the show of unity that occurred before and after it, which turned out to be the biggest talking point of the day. 

There was much bonhomie between leaders of the high-profile guest list that gathered at the steps of the Vidhana Soudha. 

Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samajwadi Party's (BSP) Mayawati, All India Trinamool Congress' Mamata Bannerjee and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury graced the occasion. 

This was a day filled with rhetoric and rare photo opportunities attempting to show that opposition leaders were united to challenge the BJP, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

Others present at the ceremony included Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. 

In a press conference after the ceremony, Kumaraswamy termed the congruence of opposition leaders 'historic'. "Around 20-25 Chief Ministers, former Chief Ministers and national leaders have come together today. This is a historic new development in the country," he said.  However, the JD(S) chief was quick to add that the opposition leaders were not here to protect the state government. "This govt will be protected by local Congress and JD(S) leaders," he said. 

The audience, a sea of JD(S) supporters on Ambedkar Vedike Road, were staunchly in support of their supremo Kumaraswamy. He was greeted with a raucous cheer from the people, some of whom had made the trip from Mandya, Hassan and Ramanagara to Bengaluru to watch the coronation of 'Kumaranna'. 

Congress and JD(S) leaders were cheered whenever they appeared on the giant screen set up on stage. 

However, the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who is credited as the man who kept the JD(S) and Congress MLAs together after a fractured mandate in the elections sparked a game of horse-trading and resort politics in the state last week. 

Kumaraswamy quipped, "We have tied our horses down," in reference to the BJP's attempts to woo JD(S) and Congress leaders. 

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